Kingdom Hearts:Dreams among the Stars
by DLionHeart
Summary: A challenge sent by a new threat. Sora will have to face a new enemy as well as old ones. His predecessors are the key to a new power he needs to master to survive. He will ally with the ever mysterious Kingdom Keepers to guard Kingdom Hearts and piece together the origins of the Realm of Sleep and its Nightmares. Most of all, he must protect the person he cares about most. Kairi
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Except multiple characters and worlds that are gonna show up.  
><em>

_Believe it or not, I came up with this before the real Realm of Sleep showed up, so I had to spend a bit of time to change the story accordingly. I'm not gonna use dream eaters out of, keeping it simple._

**Prologue**

A cloaked figure was standing alone in the cover of night. He was keeping an ever watchful eye on a certain girl from the rooftops. This girl had scarlet red hair that reached her mid-back. She had a white headband to hold her hair back. She was wearing a black sweater with a pink heart on it and a pleated pink skirt with a brown belt around her waist. Her brown leather boots made a noticeable sound as she walked. The girl was carrying a handful of bags that made it obvious she had just finished shopping. She stopped for a moment and turned around to see the darkness of night behind her.

"I think I'm starting to lose it." The girl shrugged off her bad feeling and kept walking. She felt a chill down her spine and turned around again. She saw the same thing as before. Nothing. She let out a quiet sigh and was about to keep moving, but immediately froze when she felt an arm coil around her neck. She immediately dropped her bags and grabbed the arm back to try and break loose. The girl could on shudder in fear when a man leaned his lips closer to her ear and whispered.

"No need to worry," the figure said. With the icy cold way he said his words, it was obvious he didn't mean what he said.. "I just want to play with you for a bit. It's not everyday you get to meet a Princess of Heart. Right, Kairi?" Kairi managed to break away from his grip and summoned her Destiny's Embrace to her hand. She turned around to face him, but he had vanished. She was completely ready to face him, but froze when she felt a stinging feeling in her chest. She looked down and saw the tip of a knife pointing out of her chest. "Naughty, naughty, little princess. You should really learn to follow orders." Kairi's vision got blurry and her head began to spin. The man pulled out his knife and Kairi collapsed with a thud.

* * *

><p>The light of the silver moon was shining down onto the square. Its light fell onto a man who was staring into a fountain with his reflection staring back at him. His silver hair was floating in the wind. He was wearing a black, short-sleeved dress shirt with a gray vest and a pair of tattered jeans. He pulled out a coin and tossed it into the water and watched it ripple. When the water was stilled again, the man could see the reflection of a cloaked figure behind him.<p>

"Making a wish, Riku?" the figure asked. "A purely pointless effort if you ask me. What becomes of you is up to us." Riku summoned his Way to Dawn and turned around to slash the figure. The figure proved too fast and evaded the attack with a scythe drawn. Before he could react, the figure had swung his scythe and Riku felt a rush of pain in his neck. "You are a fool." At that moment, the clear water in the fountain rippled again as it turned red.

* * *

><p>The sunset fell on a small islet on the side of an island. A boy was walking towards a tree that was bent towards the ocean. His brown hair was in messy spikes. He wore a red T-shirt with a black jacket and a pair of blue jeans. He stared up at the tree with his bright blue eyes and focused his gaze on the star-shaped fruit. He felt a chill down his spine when he heard a voice behind him.<p>

"Hello, 'Master' Sora," a cloaked figure said. "I see you have a fascination with the Paopu fruit. Only a fool would believe its legend. There is nothing that can truly intertwine one destiny with another. Perhaps, I should do a service to you and destroy it."

"I won't let you!" Sora angrily summoned his Kingdom Key ready to fight when he felt someone grab his arm. He was about to turn to face the person when the hooded figure charged forward. In the blink of an eye, the figure was before him, with his hand embedded in his chest. He stepped back and held up a heart.

"What will you do now?" Sora's vision blurred so he could barely see his heart in front of him. All he could do, was collapse as the figure clenched his fist.

* * *

><p>All at once, Sora, Kairi and Riku woke up in their homes. Kairi brought her hand to her chest. There was no wound. Riku woke up by falling out of his bed. He sat up and brought his hand to his neck. It was only a dream. Sora sat up with his heart beating fast. He sat there with a look of terror on his face. He brought his hand to chest and began to breath heavily.<p>

At the same time, the three Keyblade Wielders muttered the same three words. "What was that?"

* * *

><p>A man and a woman were standing before Maleficent with four figures standing behind them. The woman motioned to one of the figures who rejoined Maleficent and the rest of her allies. She held up the heart to the witch, who greedily snatched it up in her hands.<p>

"I believe the payment is of sufficient worth," the man said.

"To think that this power was in his hands," Maleficent said. "At least now, it is with a proper user."

"So, are we in allegiance?" the woman asked.

"Fine. Consider us allies. But don't think that you can push me around." The area around them began to ripple with everyone beginning to vanish. The area completely shattered leaving everyone in their own darkness. Maleficent opened her eyes and found herself back in her castle. She raised her hands with the heart still in the palm of her hand. She stared at it with both malice and intrigue and only laughed as a small blue figure began to form next to her.

* * *

><p>In the shadows of the abyss, the figures were kneeling before a council of seven people who were obscured by the shadows. Only one of them spoke.<p>

"The mission was a success."

"A typical pawn," one of them said. "Always believing they are more powerful than they are. At least now, all the pieces are set. We can finally begin the game."

"About time," a woman said. "I've been waiting centuries for this chance. I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait."

"You must still wait," another council member reminded her. "Stories have a set path. It is only the prologue. We still much to do."

"He is correct," another spoke. "The **Origin Key** must be reforged before we can act."

"That shouldn't be too hard to do," the woman said. "With all of our little pieces in place, it won't be too long before our little plan succeeds. Can you all imagine it? Our kingdom will rise again. Our allies will be reborn. The **Master**'s resurrection. When we are finished, the **Realm of Sleep** will be ours once more."

* * *

><p><em>That's the end of the chapter. I really hope this time it's for keeps.<em>


	2. The Legacy Continues

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts, but I don't.  
><em>

**The Legacy Continues**

Donald ran through the halls of Disney Castle searching for someone. He only stopped when he ran into a Moogle roaming through. That particular Moogle was a girl with a tuft of blond hair that was kept back with a barrette, ears that were longer than normal and a pink pom-pom. She was wearing a pink shirt with a denim vest and brown shorts. Her vest had two slits in it to make room for her pink bat wings. There were a pair of green goggles around her neck and a pistol at one side of her waist and a commissioner's cap at the other.

"Kupo! Watch it, Donald!" she told him.

"Sorry, Eva," Donald replied. "I'm looking for Goofy. King Mickey is returning, today."

"Last time I saw him, he was sleeping in the courtyard," Eva replied. Donald rushed ahead to meet to the courtyard leaving the disgruntled Moogle to say an annoyed, "Kupo! You're welcome!"

* * *

><p>Kairi was sitting in her bed. She was shaking. Her hand was on her chest. She could vaguely remember being stabbed. She stared at the clock. 3:27 am. Despite her nightmare, she went back to sleep and relaxed. After a while, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She let herself drift off when she started to hear a piano playing. She opened her eyes and found herself in a beautiful ornate mansion. The interior was mostly gold with regal furniture decorating the room. In the corner, by the stain glass, was a woman playing the piano. She didn't even turn around when she greeted Kairi.<p>

"Hello, Princess," she said.

"What is this place?" Kairi asked.

"That is not important." Kairi was reluctant to walk closer to the woman. She seemed to notice this and sighed. "You do not have to be afraid. I can guarantee you, I am a friend." Kairi walked closer and got a good look at the woman. Her light brown hair was delicately curled over her left shoulder with a floral clip adorning the same side. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that faded to orange, than to red as it got closer to the bottom with a blue ribbon tied around her waist. She was wearing a necklace that seemed woven from red silk with a paopu fruit hanging from it.

"Who are you?"

"You make call me Natalia."

"Why am I here?"

"You're beginning to unlock your powers," Natalia told her. "A Princess of Heart has multiple gifts. You are finally learning to access them. You will need to to face them."

"Face who?"

"The one who placed a knife in your back."

"That wasn't a dream?"

"It was a dream," the woman corrected. "That person was not. You must go to the old master. He can answer everything for you. But first." The woman stopped playing her piano and stood up. She held out her hand and a blue light formed. "This is a gift. Yet another befitting a Princess of Heart." The light enveloped Kairi in a blue glow. Kairi woke up in her bed. She looked around confused. All the thoughts in her head were mixed up and jumbled. There was only one thing she was sure off. That dream was not a dream.

* * *

><p>Riku got off the floor and stretched, letting out a yawn. choosing to dismiss the event as another nightmare, he went back to bed and passed out. After a while, he started to feel a breeze blowing at his face. He opened his eyes and found himself in a field with flowers blowing in the wind. He stood up and looked around. He saw a man sitting a few feet away. He was just sitting there, staring at the flowers.<p>

"You're talking to me now, are you?" the man joked.

"Who are you?" Riku asked.

"Well, my friends call me PJ," he replied. "You are my friend, right?"

"I don't know you."

"Believe it or not, you do." PJ stood up. He was taller and more muscular than Riku. He had dark gray hair. He was wearing a red shirt with a black leather jacket and white jeans. The outline of two wings, one white and one purple, was printed on the back of his jacket. There was a metal chain clipped to his jeans that had a Heartless symbol attached to it.

"Are you sure we met?" Riku asked.

"We have, but I guess you haven't recognized me yet." He chuckled and placed his hand on Riku's shoulder. "It was nice talking to you for once, but now we have to get to business."

"What business?"

"There's a powerful evil arising. It's not fair to have you and your friends do this, but we don't have a choice. You three will have to face it."

"Face what?"

"A powerful threat. I believe you met them." Riku gulped and brought his hand to his neck. PJ held up his hand and a red light appeared. It flew to him and covered him in its glow. "Don't worry. We know you guys can handle it. We have complete faith in you. We've seen what you guys can do. No one else can handle it, but all of you." Riku woke up in the middle of the night. He looked up at the ceiling and considered PJ's words. What kind of threat were they meant to face?

* * *

><p>Sora sat up on his bed, rubbing his eyes. He took a quick look at his clock before going back to sleep. He let himself drift off until he heard the splashing of some waves. He opened his eyes and found himself back on the islet at the island. He sat up and found the paopu tree next to him.<p>

"It's funny how some of us believe in legends." Sora turned to see someone walking along the bridge. He was about his age with black hair that was covered by a gray fedora. He was wearing a long-sleeved gray shirt with a yellow vest and black pants with a blue belt. A silver hidden Mickey was pinned to the edge of his hat. "Some believe that the Paopu fruit can bind two hearts together for eternity. It's sad that no hearts can be bound together."

"Who are you?"

The man walked past Sora and stared at the ocean. "My name is Alistair. Or at least, that's what they said. Not that it matters. A name is meant to define your life. I no longer have a life to live."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Many have unfairly lost their life to live and many others may share their fate. Can you save them all?"

With zero hesitation, he answered. "I can!" Sora wasn't sure what he was talking about, but he knew that he could everything Alistair asked him to do.

"You have good resolve." Alistair extended his hand and a golden light appeared to envelop Sora. "It's a special power I'm giving you. Don't misuse it." He turned around and a bright light shined in Sora's eyes. He woke up and saw another light shine in his eyes. It was morning. He got up and got ready for another day. Sora was sure it would be the last one had for a while.

* * *

><p>Donald found Goofy sleeping in the courtyard just as Eva said. He angrily ran over and whacked Goofy with his staff. It wasn't that hard of a blow, since he still slept. Donald hit him again. In his sleep, Goofy banged the duck on his head with his shield. With his face turning red and steam popping out of his ears(or where his ears would be), Donald raised his staff and summoned thunder from the sky.<p>

"Yow!" Goofy made a movement similar to a seizure and sat up. "Uh...hi Donald."

"Goofy, you ninny! Why were you sleeping on the job!" Donald wailed.

"Gawrsh, I don't remember."

"Waah!" Donald jumped up and flailed his arms angrily.

"Gee...Donald, why so angry?"

"Why you little-"

"Ahem!" The mage and the knight turned to see Jiminy staring at them from Eva's shoulder. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but we do have company."

"Hello." A girl walked in from behind Eva. She had long black hair that was covered by a blue beret. She was wearing a black T-shirt with a white jacket and a frilled skirt with a pair of white high-heeled boots. "I'm sorry to say, but King Mickey had to go off to fulfill an important task. He asked me to inform you of this. My name is Erika."

* * *

><p>Alistair, Natalia and PJ were standing on a cliff that was above a barren wasteland. Within the wasteland, there were thousands of Keyblades stabbed in the ground. Alistair seemed to stare off into the sky.<p>

"Do you guys think they will save them?" PJ asked.

"Of course," Natalia responded. "They are more powerful than they appear."

"They have to win," Alistair said. "The fate of both realms depend on their victory."

* * *

><p><em>As per usual, the reviews are welcome<em>


	3. Pictures

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts, but I don't.  
><em>

**Pictures**

"Where did King Mickey go?" Donald asked.

"Let me start from the beginning," Erika said. "I am from the world Orion. Our ruler invited King Mickey to discuss the terms of an alliance. There is a great evil that is resurfacing. They're called Nightmares. They are an ancient enemy that can attack someone within their dreams."

"They sound dangerous," Goofy said. "How do we stop them?"

"No one knows. All of our original books on the matter have began stolen and destroyed centuries ago. King Mickey left to find any information he could on the matter."

"So what do we do, Erika?" Jiminy asked.

"We have to find someone who may know something about it."

"What about that fancy old guy?" Eva offered. "I hear he's smart."

"Fancy old guy?" Erika stared at the Moogle with a confused expression.

"Do you mean Master Yen Sid?" Goofy asked.

"It's disrespectful to refer to him like that!" Donald wailed.

"Anyway, if this Master Yen Sid may know something, I would like to speak with him," Erika said.

"We can take you," Donald offered.

"Thank you so much, but I actually had some business I need to do before I go. Can you take me to Sora, Kairi and Riku?"

"Sure, but why?" Goofy asked.

"It actually applies to all five of you. So, it might be better to speak with all of you at once."

"Then you guys better go meet up with them," Eva said. "Kupo! To the gummi ship!"

* * *

><p>Sora had just finished getting dressed and was trying to sneak out of the house without anyone noticing. He had to go the island and meet Riku and Kairi, and he knew for a fact that he would be interrogated if anyone saw him. He was almost out the door when he heard a woman's voice echo behind him.<p>

"And where are you going so early in the morning?"

Sora turned around to see his sister Serinda standing behind him. She was a whole decade older, but she certainly didn't look like it. Her caramel brown hair was a bit lighter than his and she inherited their mom's brown eyes. She had a noticeable tan. Mainly because she spent more time outside.

"Hey, sis," Sora said. "I was just going out to the island."

"To meet Kairi," Serinda teased.

"And Riku."

"And why go so early in the morning?"

"It's nothing to worry about. I'll be back soon."

Sora sped out of the house leaving Serinda alone with an amused expression.

"He's just like you, dad," she muttered. "I just wished you were here to see it."

* * *

><p>Kairi walked along the beach with the waves flowing over her feet and her boots in her hand. She let out a faint sigh and closed her eyes as the breeze blew in her face. She only reacted when she heard Sora and Riku calling her. She smiled for a moment and walked towards them. Without saying anything, they instinctively knew what was about to happen. Not even discussing their dreams, Sora asked a single question.<p>

"One last time?"

Kairi and Riku nodded and the trio began walking towards the waterfall. They walked passed it and entered the secret place. The walls were covered in the countless drawings they etched into the stone. One of them was a chocobo. Another was a raft probably by drawn by Riku. The actual drawing Sora was focused on was the one of him and Kairi. He bent down and stared at the drawing and smiled. The last time he saw it, he made an addition. He drew himself sharing a paopu with Kairi. Apparently, someone made the same edition, but with Kairi sharing it back. He never noticed it until now. In the whole six months he's been back, he and Kairi have never confronted how they felt about each other. Sora stood up and turned around to see Kairi eyeing one of the drawings on the other side of the room. He walked over and was about to say something, but he stopped when he noticed the drawing she was staring at.

Unlike all the others, it was unusually detailed and refined, as though it was professionally drawn. There were three people wielding Keyblades. The Keyblades were definitely theirs, but the wielders didn't look like them at all.

"Did you draw that?" Sora asked.

"No," Kairi answered. "I thought you did."

"Did you two draw any of this?" Riku interrupted. He pointed at all the other drawings on the wall. Each of them included things and people they didn't even know. One was a girl kneeling down, holding up a Keyblade. Below that one was a group of Moogles that were trapped in a cage somewhere. Another drawing was a man hiding in the corner, clutching his heart. Oddly, half of him was shaded dark, but the other half was not. There was girl off to the side that turned her side to them. She was wearing a beautiful dress with a butterfly-shaped mask and was completely surrounded by dozens of butterflies. None of them drew these pictures. So who did draw them?

Their thoughts were interrupted when they heard a loud noise outside. The trio quickly ran out, oblivious to another drawing on the wall. It was definitely more troubling than the others. It had the image of Riku hugging a woman. From that angle, the woman's face couldn't be seen, but it was quite clear that there was malice in her heart. After all, poking out of Riku's back, was the tip of her knife.

* * *

><p>Outside, the trio ran out to see a gummi ship laying in the sand. The door opened and two old friends and a girl ran out and collapsed exhausted.<p>

"Donald? Goofy?" Sora ran over and helped them up. "What's going on?"

"I have a good guess," Riku summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at Heartless running out of the ship.

"Please stop them," the girl pleaded.

"Don't worry," Kairi took a fighting stance. "We will handle these guys."

"Thank you."

A Large Body Heartless charged forward. Riku lunged for it and and knocked it away. Just as the Large Body vanished, a Dragoon appeared and attacked with its purple lance. Before it could hurt Riku, Sora smashed it with a well-aimed Blizzaga. The two were quickly swarmed by black birds with red markings on their wings.

"Magnega!" Kairi held her Keyblade up and brought the monsters above her. "Now guys! Banishga!" An arc of light flew from Kairi's Keyblade and pierced the monsters.

"Darkraga!" Riku stabbed his weapon into the ground and darkness erupted and swallowed the Heartless whole.

"Firaga!" A vortex of fire swirled around Sora scorching the dragoons with ease.

The girl that was with Donald and Goofy got up and smiled. "Thank you. That could've been horrible."

"Who are you?" Kairi asked.

"My name's Erika. I have to talk with the three of you about something important but first." Erika looked at Donald and Goofy. "We must treat their wounds. I fear they may have been severely injured."

"We'll help them." Kairi ran towards her injured friends and gave them each a potion. Sora took a few steps towards them, but stopped noticing Riku. What's with him? he thought. Our friends are hurt and he's standing there staring at- Sora realized, Riku had his eyes on Erika. Oh duh. Erika seemed to notice Riku too and blushed.

* * *

><p>Master Yen Sid was calmly stroking his beard, staring out at the sky from the top of his tower. The fairies noticed his distress and floated over to him.<p>

"Is there something the matter?" Flora asked.

"I am sensing an eerie presence arising," Yen Sid replied. "I am not sure what it is." At that moment, a large gust blew through the window and knocked over a picture of the wall. The glass shattered and the photo floated onto the ground. The wizard waved his hand and the photo floated towards him and cringed. "So this day has finally come."

"What day?" Merryweather asked.

"Where is the apprentice?"

"Off to the mansion, as you instructed," Fauna replied.

"Tell the apprentice to hurry. We have to prepare for the arrival of Sora, Kairi and Riku. If this truly means what I believe it means, they will be here soon."


	4. The Beginning

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts, but I don't.  
><em>

**The Beginning  
><strong>

A girl was riding through Twilight Town on her motorcycle. She was wearing a gray top, a black leather jacket with a pair of white skinny jeans and gray leather boots. She sped through the woods and stopped in front of an old mansion. She pulled out a scrap from her pocket. The picture matched the mansion, save for a few minor signs of decay. She pulled off her helmet and let her long brown hair down. She walked up to the mansion and pulled on the doors. Locked.

She held up her hand and summoned a Keyblade to her hand. It was a long ornate weapon. The hilt and shaft were both crystalline in appearance. The guard was a white wing and black wing with a silver heart connecting them. Thirteen crystal butterflies adorned the blade with the final one forming the teeth. The keychain was a silver feather attached to the keyblade with black and white thread. She aimed at the door and unlocked it. She had just passed through the doors when her phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered. "Hi, Merryweather. Okay, I'll head back in a second. I'm almost done finishing off the Heartless in Twilight Town. I'll take down the ones in the mansion, then I'll head back." She hung up and made her way into the depths of the building. It was the middle of the day, but the mansion was unusually dark. She readied herself as she felt a darkness creeping close to her. Her keyblade glowed with a bright aura as she swung it behind her. She didn't hit anything, but she trusted her senses. She wasn't alone in the mansion.

"I can feel your presence. Trying to hide is a pointless effort." Immediately two glowing red eyes honed in on her. A dark flash charged at her with its crimson red claws ready. She barrel rolled out of its grasp and aimed her weapon. Three shards of ice formed at the tip of her keyblade. "Ice Pursuit!" The shards of ice flew at the Heartless at high speed. As it drew closer, each of them began to split off into more shards until there at least fifty of them. They formed plumes of ice where they struck. The heartless roared savagely as fire formed around it. Destroying the remnants of ice and leaving a trail of fire behind it, it charged again. "Stop!" A clock symbol appeared beneath its feet with the hands spinning at great speed before abruptly stopping. The symbol turned black after it finished. That must have meant it failed, because the heartless kept charging.

She barely avoid the blow and landed her feet again ready to fight back. "I should've known it would be immune to that. I'm not even sure why I tried it." She eyed the room looking for it. She couldn't see it in the shadows, and relying on instinct alone would be suicide. She needed light. "Sparkga!" Seven rings of multicolored light formed around her, lighting up the room. "Now I should be able to see it." She found the heartless creeping along the wall. "Impossible." It was a purple heartless with blue veins tracing its body. Dark magenta spikes were running down its back and form some sort of mane. It possessed broken chains around its ankles. Its beady yellow eyes changed to red as it faded back into the darkness. It didn't attack. It didn't growl. All it did was was vanish into darkness with a demonic smirk on its face. "A Red Eye in this realm. That must mean." She let an annoyed sigh. "Crap."

* * *

><p>"Ooh...My aching head," Donald whined.<p>

"That heartless really nailed you on the head," Erika said.

"What happened?" Kairi asked.

"We were driving here in our ship, but we had to take the gate," Goofy answered. "Gummi Heartless saw us and attacked."

"They boarded our ship and forced us out of the sky," Donald said.

"Can it still fly?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, it will fly, but I'm sure Eva will give us hell for busting it up so bad."

"Who's Eva?" Riku asked.

"She's a Moogle that Chip and Dale hired to help them design the ships," Goofy answered. "She's good at her job, but she's almost as short-tempered as Donald."

"Hey!" the duck snapped back.

"By the way, what brings you guys here anyway?" Sora asked.

Erika pulled out a letter and handed it to Sora. "That should answer everything."

Dear Sora, Kairi and Riku,

Don't be worried, but there's trouble brewing. I would have liked to explain the situation to all of you myself, but I've had no choice but to send Erika as a messenger. Kingdom Hearts is in worse danger than its ever faced before.

Trust me when I tell you that you will have to be extra careful when dealing with them. They're a new group of enemies called Nightmares. As far as I know, they are very dangerous. You three will have to go to Master Yen Sid's tower. He should be able to explain everything to you.

Erika is coming along to help you guys and please keep an eye on her. By the way, she has an offer for the three of you. Personally, I declined, but please be well informed about it before you make your decisions. Good luck to all of you.

His Majesty

-King Mickey

"King Mickey's gone to face the Nightmares," Sora muttered. "Just who are these people?"

"That's why we have to go to see Master Yen Sid's," Erika said. "Will you all come along?"

"If the Nightmares are such a threat, then you'll need us," Riku boasted.

"I'm in, too," Kairi said. "We won't let you guys face this thing alone."

"I guess we're leaving home again," Sora said solemnly. With the glances he shared with Kairi and Riku, it was clear that they were conflicted about leaving. "It's kinda funny. It feels like we just got home."

"No kidding." Everyone turned to see Serinda walking from the pier. She walked to Sora and placed her hand on his head. "Why can't you stay put for once?" She laughed and started ruffling his hair.

"Um, who is this?" Erika asked.

"Sora's older sister, Serinda," Riku answered.

"When you came back and told us about you're crazy adventure, you forgot to mention you were gonna go on another one," Serinda said laughing. "Kairi, Riku, are you two going?" Both of them nodded. "I see. In that case, Riku, you better make sure Sora and Kairi don't do anything I forgot I did." The moment she finished her sentence, both Sora and Kairi turned bright red.

"Have we met somewhere, before?" Erika asked.

"That's a no. What's your name?"

"Erika."

"Well, Erika, nice to meet you."

"Well ain't that nice," shouted a mocking voice. Everyone turned to see a familiar (and unwanted) face on the docks.

"Pete!" Everyone, except Serinda, yelled.

"That's Pete!" she exclaimed. "Damn! When you said he was big, you meant BIG."

"Do you realize who you're speaking to?" Pete replied.

"Yes, I am speaking to a fat loser who always gets his butt whooped by a teenage boy whose voice has barely cracked."

"Hey!" Sora complained. Everyone else started laughing.

"Sorry."

"Yeah laugh while you can." Pete snapped his fingers and a large creature appeared.

"The Trinity Armor," Erika said.

"What is it? A heartless?" Goofy asked.

"It's an Unversed."

Serinda looked away for a moment and muttered to herself. "But Unversed were destroyed. How could-"

"Serinda!" She looked up and noticed the Unversed charge at them and quickly moved out of the way. Sora ran up in front of her with Kairi and Riku next to him. "Stand back, we can handle this."

"Just don't get hurt," she replied. "I'll never be able to explain it to mom."

Sora, Kairi and Riku stepped forward with their keyblades ready. The Trinity Armor flew above their heads and spun around firing lasers in all directions. Kairi held out her keyblade in front of her and formed a barrier around it, blocking every blast. As soon as the barrier faded, the three of them ran towards the Unversed, avoiding its attacks. In a single attack, they knocked it into the sand and jumped off the bridge in pursuit.

* * *

><p>"Come on! Destroy them already!" Pete yelled. "How hard could it be- EEEEEEEEHHHHHHH!" Pete stopped in a daze, covered in ash and smoking from a lightning strike. Donald made a sneaky grin and dusted his staff. "Why I oughta- Ow!" Goofy charged forward knocking Pete into the water. "You're gonna pay for- gah..." A hard coconut interrupted his sentence. Donald, Goofy and Erika stopped and stared at the closest tree. Serinda was standing there whistling with her hands behind her back.<p>

"Oh, no," she said sarcastically. "Pete was injured in a bizarre coconut-related accident."

"You little- gah!" Another coconut nailed Pete in the jaw, causing him to stumble back and fall.

"Is he unconscious? Wow, I'll be honest, I did not think that would work."

* * *

><p>Sora, Kairi and Riku were pushing the Trinity Armor back. Riku rushed forward and struck the Unversed with a heavy blow. As it reeled back, Kairi ran towards it and shot it with a sphere of light at point-blank, destroying the legs. The torso and arms moved to each side of them. Both began to spin, firing lightning in all directions.<p>

"Kairi!" Sora yelled.

"Right!" she replied. She ran to him and jumped. He cupped his hands and threw her above the Unversed. She gripped her keyblade and slashed the arms. Sora came after her and landed his own attack, destroying it. Only the torso remained. It's head glared at the three of them and charged. Kairi stopped it halfway with a barrier. It inched back and both Sora and Riku struck it. The Trinity armor froze and began to fade.

"That was almost too easy," Riku said.

"Not bad if I say so myself," Kairi replied.

"Nice, that Unversed was pretty weak compare to you three," Serinda said.

"That was most impressive," Erika said. "You three are amazing."

"Hey, where's Pete?" Sora asked.

"He summoned more Heartless to distract us and took off," Goofy replied.

"But you missed the funniest thing," Donald laughed. "Your sister nailed Pete in the jaw with a coconut."

"You act as if I knocked out Maleficent," she replied. "Hm… I guess it's time for you guys to go, huh?"

"Yeah," Sora replied. "They need me."

"I know. Good luck you three. Just do what you have to do. I'll handle the rest."

"Thanks sis." The siblings shared a brief hug before they started going into the gummi ship. Right before the door closed, Sora stopped and turned to his sister. "Serinda, tell mom I'll be home soon."

"Sure. And just for the record, if dad was here, I'm sure he'd say he's proud of you."

"Thanks."

The doors of the gummi ship shut closed. The engine began to start up with the wind blowing around them. Serinda just smiled as the ship as it flew away. Once it was out of sight, she just crossed folded her arms and called out to someone.

"What did you want, Lief?" she asked.

"You haven't lost your edge," Lief said as he walked out. "I'm just delivering a message from Zero. He wants you to return to the Kingdom Keepers."

"Really? I'm shocked. Last time I saw him, I was excommunicated from the Kingdom Keepers." Lief narrowed his eyes and gave her a certain look. "I know I deserved it, but I'm still shocked."

"Not much we could do. The circumstances changed."

"Changed how?"

"The Nightmares are resurfacing."

"How do you know?"

"We got some reports and I just sensed their presence. They attacked your brother and his friends. I'm sure of it. And it's not just them we're worried about either."

"It's the Crusade, isn't it?" Lief nodded. "Guess it's too late to say 'no' now" Serinda let out a sigh and stared up at the sky. "Wish me luck. Now, I have to explain to my mom why Sora and I are both leaving."

* * *

><p>Maleficent's castle was shrouded in darkness. Pete had just returned out of breath.<p>

"Oh, man," he complained. "Sora and his friends are gonna cause us all sorts of trouble again."

"Is that so?" Pete turned to see a woman wearing a black cloak. She had blond hair with two strands pointing back like antennae.

"Relena!"

"Tell me, Pete. How will they cause us trouble?"


	5. The Origin of Nightmare

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts, but I don't.  
><em>

**The Origin of Nightmare  
><strong>

"Yes, I just made contact." Donald and Goofy noticed Erika standing next to the window of the Gummi Ship. She was on the phone with someone. They couldn't help but be curious about who she was talking to. "I'll begin in a moment." She hung up the phone and walked over to Donald and Goofy.

"Erika, didn't you say you needed help with something?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah," Erika replied. "You guys better go grab the others. There is something wrong with the worlds and we will need all of you to help stop it."

Donald and Goofy quickly grabbed the others.

"Erika, what is this about?" Kairi asked.

"I am a member of an elite organization called the Kingdom Keepers," Erika explained. "It is our job to protect Kingdom Hearts and we thought it would be best if you all joined us."

"We're honored and all, but why us?" Riku asked.

"Well, you all have great power and potential. Not to mention that fact that you all took down Organization XIII and saved Kingdom Heart twice. Plus, only a Keyblade Wielder can handle the higher-rank villains in our roster. Since the death of our best Keyblade Wielder, they've started to gain the upper hand and old enemies are beginning to show their faces again."

"Are they really that tough?" Sora asked.

"Maleficent is one of them." Hearing her name felt like a blow to the stomach for everyone. "So far only one team of non-keyblade wielders have been able to take her down, and since they disbanded…."

"That explains how an organization meant to protect Kingdom Hearts was nowhere to be seen last year when Xemnas attacked it."

"That was our worst blunder. That's why we need your help. Do you accept?"

The five exchanged glances.

"Yeah," Sora grinned. "Let's do this!"

"I'm in!" Goofy said.

"I refuse to be left behind a third time!" Kairi cheered.

"I did promise Serinda to keep my eye on you two," Riku pointed out.

"Of course, I'm in," Donald said boldly.

"Then welcome to the Kingdom Keepers." Erika smiled.

Everyone was stunned when they heard the computer beep. Donald walked over and took one look at the screen.

"We're here."

* * *

><p>Everyone walked out of the Gummi Ship and up to the tower. They walked inside and were greeted by the three fairies.<p>

"There you all are," Flora said. "We were starting to get worried. Come along. Master Yen Sid is waiting for you all in his room."

The group went up to the top of the tower and entered Yen Sid's room. The retired Keyblade Master sat at his desk with his usual stoic expression. A brown haired girl was with him. She seemed to be worried about something.

"If a Red Eye can cross over, doesn't that mean…" she paused mid sentence when they noticed Sora and his friends walk in. "Master, who are these people?"

"That is Sora and his allies."

"Really? I was expecting someone, taller and less scrawny." Each of the fairies made a coughing noise with Merryweather elbowing her in the side. "I mean, welcome honored guests."

"Who are you?" Erika asked.

"Everyone," Master Yen Sid spoke up. "This is my apprentice, Kayla."

"Master Yen Sid, you needed to talk to us about something," Sora said.

"Yes. I fear there is a great evil rising," the old master said. "This is a powerful enemy that rivals even Maleficent and Xemnas in power. I fear that an old enemy has finally able to return, and she may be the most powerful one you've faced yet."

"Great...we needed more enemies," Donald said sarcastically. Kairi elbowed the mage in his ribcage. "Oof! I mean, go on."

"When I was young, during my days as an apprentice I was chosen to become the student of one of the very first Keyblade Wielders. I was chosen, because he believed I had the potential to become the most powerful Keyblade Wielder of my generation. Obviously, I was not his only student in the academy. Among them was a girl named Elinor. Elinor was known for her strength and at the time, I was somewhat frightened by her. On my first day, we were to spar with each other, and to both our surprise, I won. At first, she was shocked, but was happy for my victory and encouraged me to continue training. Over time, we had become close. Unfortunately, our friendship didn't last. With every day we trained I continued to grow stronger and began to surpass her in many ways. I was stronger, faster, even my magic was more powerful and precise than hers. My Master even proclaimed me a prodigy while my classmates were overlooked or forgotten. Elinor detested the Master for selecting favorites and ignoring the rest of them. At one point, I realized that as I grew stronger, Elinor grew cold with envy and hate. Darkness began to consume her. I disliked the idea, but our friendship dwindled and faded, leaving only a void where a good friendship once stood."

"That's so sad..." Kairi said.

Master Yen Sid quietly acknowledged Kairi's statement and continued his story. "The day had finally come when we were to take our Mark of Mastery exam. Once again, Elinor and I were set to fight. I proved to be the stronger and had the upper hand. Despite being tired and weak, Elinor refused to be beaten and ultimately unleashed all the darkness in her heart. Our Master believing that someone who could not control their darkness was a lost cause, he did not let her pass and abandoned her."

"That's not fair," Riku said. "It's not fair to abandon someone like that."

"That's what I wanted to tell him, but to my deepest regret, I didn't. Years had passed since the exam, and finally Elinor returned to face our Master. Believing he could easily defeat his arrogant student, he chose to face her alone. He underestimated her. It was clear that over the years, she had learned to use the darkness in her heart to grow stronger, surpassing even him in strength. Rather than watch them destroy each other, I intervened. Elinor ordered me to move aside, refusing to face an old friend, but I wouldn't move. She tried to hide it, but just like me, she had shed a tear and we clashed. It was obvious that neither one of us had the power or the courage to strike the other down. With every strike, we grew tired and weary. Hoping to end the fight, I put all my power in my Keyblade. She realized what I was attempting and followed. We both unleashed all our might and charged, but there was no impact. I turned around and stood in shock. Elinor was not aiming for me but our master. There he stood with her Keyblade stabbed in his heart. Refusing to let her escape, our master summoned all his strength and banished both of them to another dimension known as the Realm of Sleep."

"Is Elinor the new enemy we have to face?" Sora asked.

"I fear so," Yen Sid said gravely. "Even in the Realm of Sleep, Elinor's darkness continued to grow. The realm's denizens and creatures grew corrupt and turned to darkness. Elinor discovered that through the Realm of Sleep, one can enter a person's dream and shatter them."

"Shatter them?"

"Yes. Every heart is linked to Kingdom Hearts by a dream. If the dream is shattered and link destroyed, the victim will fall into despair as his heart slowly corrodes away until it shatters leaving only a shadow in its place. The shadow would slowly consume the person, spreading like a poison until the shattered remains of their heart turn black and reform creating a Nightmare."

Sora, Kairi and Riku exchanged nervous glances.

"Nightmares?" Erika said curiously. "I read about them. Didn't a powerful Keyblade Wielder destroy them? Actually I think that was..." Erika turned her attention back to Master Yen Sid.

"Despite my best efforts, I could not destroy them, but by going to the Realm of Sleep and sealing them on a specific world, I was able to stop their influence. However, some did avoid my spell and others can pass through the barrier freely. I fear at this point, they are close to achieving their goals."

"What are they doing?"

"For now, they won't do anything until they find a way to free Elinor and the rest of the Nightmares."

"What would they need to do that?" Goofy asked.

"My Keyblade, the Origin Key." Master Yen Sid got up with a sad look. "When my master died, he gave me his Keyblade. It is the same Keyblade I used to seal them away and it's the only one powerful enough to free them."

"Good," Kayla said. "Just lend it to them and they can be on their merry way."

"It is not that simple. Nightmare or not, Elinor is still a Keyblade Wielder. If she gets her hands on it, she can use it to free herself. To prevent that, I turned the Origin Key into fragments; treasures, and sent to different worlds so that she would never get it. I do know where each piece lies."

"Great!"

"But they are pieces and no longer a Keyblade and cannot be summoned here."

"Not great!"

"Can't we just gather the pieces?" Donald asked. "You know where they are."

"I have no choice but to have you all find the pieces of the Origin Key." Yen Sid turned to Kayla. "Kayla, you must go with them."

"What? Why?"

"Sora, Kairi, and Riku, I think it would be best if you let Kayla join you on your quest. She may only be an apprentice, but she is skilled."

"Okay, but what are you going to do?" Riku asked.

"If Elinor is gaining power, I don't any choice, but to go face her myself." He turned to the fairies. "I trust you three can guard the tower."

"Of course," Flora replied.

Turning his attention back to Sora, Yen Sid said, "I will give you one of our Gummi Ships to use. I trust you all to complete the task."

"Yes, Master Yen Sid," Sora replied.

"Good, you better hurry. Elinor was always impatient. She won't wait much longer for her freedom."

Everyone was on their way to the gummi ship. Kayla brushed past Riku with a sour look. He could only assume why. Being sent away somewhere without a clue what's happening would be hard on anyone.

"Are you okay?" Riku asked.

Kayla ignored his question and kept walking.

"Kayla?"

"Do us both a favor," Kayla replied. "Don't bother trying to pretend that you even care. We both know that's a lie." Riku just froze in place. What was that about? He never met her before today. What was she mad at him for?

* * *

><p>"Here's our ship," Kayla said.<p>

It was an average gummi ship. They were in the main area between the cockpit and the kitchen. Against one wall was four bed rooms. Across the hallway was a rec room with a large TV, video games and an air hockey table. Something told them that Kayla helped design the ship. Across from the rec room was a war room meant to help plan strategies and had multiple computers and maps of all the worlds. Next to it was a training room capable of creating battle simulations. That would definitely be useful.

"Cool ship," Sora said.

"There are only four rooms?" Erika asked. "But there are seven of us so someone gets their own."

"I call it!" Donald shouted.

"You don't have that option," Kayla said pointing at one of the doors. The sign on it said Kayla's Room. "Besides, there's an odd number of girls so one of us would have gotten their own room anyway."

"Don't worry Donald, you can room with me!" Goofy cheered.

"Hurray..."

"I guess we're roommates," Erika said to Kairi.

"I guess so," Kairi replied cheerfully.

"I guess you're in with me," Riku said to Sora.

"That's fine."

"Alright then let's get going," Kairi said.

"According to this journal Master Yen Sid gave me," Erika said. "We should go to the **Land of Dragons** first."

"What are we waiting for?" Sora asked. "Let's go!" Everyone, (minus Kayla) cheered as they flew off to their first destination, oblivious to a shadow quietly watching them.


	6. Hidden Dragon

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts, but I don't.  
><em>

**Hidden Dragon  
><strong>

"Where are they?" Pete complained. Pete was sitting next to Maleficent in their castle. "How long will it be until they get here?"

"Calm yourself, Pete," she said. "They won't take much longer."

"They're already late-"

Pete was interrupted when the doors swung open. A group of cloaked figures walked in with a woman leading them. She was eerily pale with unnaturally red eyes. Her thick black hair was curled over one shoulder with her bangs covering an eye. She wore a short strapless dress with black heels.

"What took you so long! I oughta-" Pete's complaining was interrupted when one of the figures caught him by the neck. His hand was oddly scaly and his sharp nails were digging into Pete's skin.

"You should teach your follower to show respect," the woman's voice was oddly monotone. "My friends here are quite protective, so you must understand if they don't take threats against me lightly." She waved her hand and the nightmare let go of Pete's neck. "Now then, we have to discuss the terms of our agreement. We gave you Unversed, that's what you wanted. Now, let's talk about what we want."

* * *

><p>A young man sat in a room full of computers. He had curly brown hair and simple brown eyes. He was pretty tan and was pretty muscular. There was an image of Erika on the screen, who was explaining the situation. He didn't seem happy with what he heard.<p>

"Erika, I don't like the idea of you going in to face the Nightmares head on," he said with a worried expression.

"Well, we don't have much of a choice, Tory," Erika replied. "Besides, we have Sora and his friends. They can handle anything."

"True, but they have Maleficent, and Organization XIII after them too," Tory pointed out. "I highly doubt they have the time to deal with the Nightmares and their own enemies at the same time. Maybe after we figure out how to take out Maleficent, first."

"We don't have time for after! The Nightmares are acting up now. Master Yen Sid said so. We have to act now!"

Tory let out a sigh. "That means facing down Maleficent, Xemnas and the Nightmares. That's our three most dangerous enemies in our roster. Are you sure you guys can handle this?"

"Yes! And if it makes you feel any better, we do have another Keyblade Wielder with us."

"Really? Who?"

"Just some girl named Kayla. She is, well, was Master Yen Sid's apprentice."

"That doesn't make me feel much better. At the very least, I'll send over another Kingdom Keeper to help you."

"Who are you sending?"

"I'll look over the roster and I'll see who would fit best. I'll call you when I figure it out."

"Okay."

Erika ended the conversation and Tory slumped back in his chair when he heard a voice from behind. "Rough day, Tory?" He turned around to see Serinda by the door. She shot him an amused smirk. "How've you been? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've had better days."

"Isn't that the truth. Now, let's focus on why I'm here. What do the Nightmares want with Sora?"

"Have you heard of a masked man named Vanitas?"

* * *

><p>Erika turned off the computer screen and met with the others in the war room. "I just got off with headquarters. They approved our mission, but they thought it would be best if they sent over another Kingdom Keeper to help us."<p>

"Hold on," Kayla interrupted. "You're a Kingdom Keeper?"

"Yes, I am. You've heard of us?"

"I'm from Orion. I've lived there my whole life, but I ended up leaving a year ago."

"What's Orion?" Donald asked.

"Orion is the homeworld of the Kingdom Keepers," Erika answered. "The organization originated there. It's our base of operations and houses the royal family. It's actually the royal family that watches over the operations of the Kingdom Keepers."

"That's sounds really cool," Sora said.

"Kayla, were you going to join the Kingdom Keepers?"

"You could say that wasn't an option for me."

"So, do you know anything about the Kingdom Keeper's that's joining us?" Donald asked Erika.

"Tory said he wasn't sure who to send. He'll call when he figures it out."

"He better call soon," Sora said. "We're here."

**World 1: The Land of Dragons**

The group arrived in the middle of a bamboo forest. They noticed a crowd of people walking towards a village by the river and followed behind.

"So what are we looking for exactly?" Sora asked.

"That's a good question," Riku said. "Where is it even hidden?"

"Here, let me take a look at Master Yen Sid's journal," Erika replied. "It probably has the location written in here somewhere." Erika put on her reading glasses, pulled out Yen Sid's journal from her bag and started reading. "Ahem. 'To prevent Elinor from freeing herself from her prison, I had to keep the Origin Key out of her hands. However, her control of the Keyblade mirrored mine in strength. My only option was to prevent us both from controlling the sacred weapon. To keep it from her clutches I shattered it to pieces and sent each shard to a different world. As time passed, I could feel their power shift and change until they were gone. Even the shard I left in my own home vanished and yet, I can still sense its presence. Not a direct presence, but a reflected one. So though some barrier has formed to guard it. Its light is still here. I feel it, but where? Whenever I try to find it, I can feel a pressure forcing me away. I can feel the light, but why can't I touch it?'"

"Well that clears it up," Kayla said. "Clears up what a challenge this will be."

"Why would it try to repel Master Yen Sid?" Kairi asked. _He betrayed us_. "What was that, Kayla?"

"What was what? I didn't say anything."

"Kairi, keep listening…" A familiar resonated in Kairi's ears, until the previous whispers came back._ She put her faith in him and he betrayed her. She had loved him. She gave him power. She gave him her power and he failed her. He doomed her. He lost his right to wield a Keyblade._

"Did you guys hear that?" Kairi asked nervously.

"Hear what?" Goofy asked.

"I'm not sure." They kept moving along the river towards the village. There weren't anymore voices, but it still worried Kairi. Why did no one else hear the voices? Who did Master Yen Sid betray? Did the voices mean Elinor? But Master Yen Sid was the good guy, right?

"Everyone! Something's heading our way and it's huge," Kayla shouted. No one noticed anything in the sky, but they got down anyway.

"Kairi, get down!" Sora pulled her onto the ground as a large shadow passed overhead. The wind that followed ripped most of the bamboo out of the ground and sent them flying. Everyone got up to see all the people panicking and running for cover inside the village. At least it explained what everyone was doing. They all took one look above them and saw a large black shadow roaring in the sky.

"The Storm Rider!" Sora, Donald and Goofy cried.

"I read about him!" Erika said. "The Storm Rider is a massive Heartless. True to its name it can cause tornadoes and summon lightning."

"We fought that thing a few months ago!" Sora complained. "Why is it still around?"

"The Storm Rider is a rare species of Heartless, but there can be more than one. Like some other Heartless it's drawn to someone with a lot of Darkness."

"Or stays close to the one that summoned it," Donald said. "The Storm Rider we faced before was summoned by Pete. I bet he's here to cause us trouble again."

"We'd better find him then!" Riku boasted.

"Follow my lead!" sora cried out.

Sora kept running ahead with everyone else close behind. He was in such a rush, he didn't notice a horse running out. "Whoa!" The horse and his rider ended up knocking Sora flat into the river.

"Would you watch where you're going!"

"You crashed into me!" Sora snapped.

"Sora, is that you?" He got up out of the water and took a good look at the rider and a red lizard coming out of her bag.

"Mulan! Mushu!"

"Hey, Sora!" Mushu said. "What's the rush? You ran straight into us."

"Okay. Who wants to explain why the snake is talking?" Kayla asked.

"Snake!" Mushu got angry and climbed onto Kayla and got in her face. "I am a dragon!"

"A tiny dragon."

Kayla and Mushu began a staring contest as Goofy began talking to Mulan.

"Hey, Mulan," Goofy said. "How've you been?"

"I've been fine," Mulan said. "We have a problem. There's been a series of heartless appearing lately, as well as a few other monsters."

"That doesn't sound good," Kairi said. "Where are they?"

"Some are in the palace. Others have attacked the villages and most are hiding in the mountain ready to attack."

"Sounds like we have to split up," Kayla said. "I can hit the palace."

"I'll go with her," Kairi offered.

"Riku and I can go up to the mountains," Sora said.

"Not alone," Mulan said. "It's very treacherous up there unless you know the way. I'll go with you."

"The rest of us can go help in the villages," Donald said.

"Here." Mulan got off her horse. "Khan here can get you three to the army camp."

"Can the three of us fit on one horse?" Erika asked. Khan replied with an angry whinnie.

"He is only leading the three of you there. There is no way he will carry around all three of you. When you get to the camp, look for Shang or Takeo."

"Who's that?" Goofy asked.

"He's a…" Mulan paused to find a good word. "He's from a different world like all of you. He can help you guys. You'll know him when you see him."

"Alright then," Sora said. "We all know what to do. Everyone, let's go!"

* * *

><p>"...and that's how it is." Tory finished.<p>

"I don't get it," Serinda replied. "You expect me to believe that this Vanitas is somehow connected to my brother. How would he have a connection to him?"

"I'm not sure, but we are positive that the Unversed started to reappear after the Nightmares interacted with Sora."

"How are you sure?"

"Lief talked to you, right?"

"Yeah, so..."

"You do remember what his power is."

"He can read auras to locate a target."

"The exact moment the Unversed reappeared, is the same moment Sora's confrontation with them ended."

"But what is Sora's connection to the Unversed?"

Tory let a sigh and kept going. "We don't know yet, but we think it involves him." Serinda's expression turned darker as she turned away. "And there is something else. Compared to Kairi and Riku, the Nightmare's presence was different."

"Different how?"

"There were two different auras. At first we thought that meant two Nightmares, but Lief said that they were too different for them both to be Nightmares."

"Hold on! Back home I was attacked by Unversed. It wasn't a Nightmare that sent it. It was that bastard, Pete!"

"Exactly."

"The Nightmares are working with Maleficent."

"We need you to help us find out why."

"Alright," Serinda made a smirk as she brought her hand to her pendant that had the words "Protection Halo" written on it. "Let's go kick their asses!"

"First, we have to find their asses," Tory said. "Our only chance of that is to find out what we can about the Unversed. Unfortunately, there's only one person who might know something about them."

"Xehanort."

"Or someone close to him."

"Tory, we both know he's probably hiding under the radar."

"You're right. Finding him will be difficult, but someone must know something."

"And if there's information to be found, it's in Eclipse City."

"We leave in half an hour, but first I have to make a call."

* * *

><p>Pete was standing behind the Nightmare as she stared up at the mountains. The Storm Rider soared to the top and perched itself on the cliffside.<p>

"Very good, Pete," she said. "You aren't quite worthless. Keep sending more Heartless and Nobodies, Sora and his friends will be too preoccupied to care about what we're doing."

"What are we doing?" Pete asked. "You haven't told us anything."

"Have a little faith. When you need it, you will know, but for now, that information is unnecessary. Now, lets focus on the issue at hand." She pulled out a knife and brought it to the palm of her hand. She cut a deep wound in her palm and held it out over the ground. "Did you know that worlds have hearts?"

"Yeah, so what?" Pete replied.

"Hearts have dreams. Dreams have nightmares. If it has a nightmare, we can make it reality. The physical realm dilutes our power, so we can't use this ability to its fullest, but it still has its uses." The drop of blood hit the ground and a dark mist erupted from the ground. A black heart materialized and the shadows began to wrap around it. Within seconds, a dark figure with gray skin and yellow eyes appeared. Behind him, an army of shadowy figures constructed themselves from below the snow. "This world was once scarred by bloodshed and war. It fears repeating that same fate. That's almost pitiful."

"You brought him back to life?"

"As I said, this realm dilutes our powers. It's merely an empty shell of once was, but it still possesses all of its original abilities. It's just a puppet. Care to pull its strings?"

* * *

><p><em>And that is every chapter I have revised. At least I haven't been doing nothing during my Hiatus right? Reviews are always welcome as long as they are reasonable. Again, I will try to never do this again, but I can't make an honest promise. See you good people next chapter.<br>_


	7. Hidden Dragon II

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts, but I don't.  
><em>

**Hidden Dragon II  
><strong>

The wind was howling in the mountains. In the depths of the raging snow, the Nightmare was staring blankly down the mountain.

"How long are we supposed to wait here?" Pete complained.

"Not much longer," she said. "They are almost here."

"Finally! Let's obliterate them."

"Absolutely not. Everyone has a role to play, and they are still necessary."

"What do we need them for and why are we waiting in the mountains anyway?"

"The dragon lies in slumber, awaiting their arrival." Pete merely stared at her with a confused face. "Just be ready to execute the plan as I've instructed. Everything, will fall into place."

* * *

><p>Kairi and Kayla were walking to the palace. According to Mulan, they would reach it if they just followed the river. There was an awkward silence between them. Kayla was keeping her distance for some reason. She was just gripping her necklace like it was a ward against evil. It did look familiar somehow.<p>

"I like your necklace," Kairi said. "Where'd you get it? It looks familiar."

"It should look familiar," Kayla replied. "It's the Mark of Mastery. Keyblade Wielders get it when they become a master."

"I thought you were an apprentice."

"I am. I got this from an old friend of mine," the brunette paused staring down at her necklace. "Before I started training under Master Yen Sid, she taught me everything I know. She gave this to me when it was time for us to part ways. A good luck charm. She said something about it being able to lead me to someone else's light in times of danger or something."

"Huh..." Kairi could faintly remember those words before, but she wasn't sure where. "Sounds familiar. Why did you guys have to separate?"

Kayla looked away and quickly changed the subject. "I can see the palace over there. Let's move."

* * *

><p>Sora and Riku were marching up the mountain with Mulan leading the way. The higher they climbed, the colder the storm became. Something about it seemed cruel and malicious. Every time they considered stopping or taking a different route, the temperature would drop rapidly until they continued walking. It was clear that there was something up there worth finding, and whatever caused this storm, wanted them to reach it.<p>

"How long have we been walking?" Riku asked.

"About an hour," Mulan answered.

"Feels like four," Sora replied. "What's with this freaky storm?"

"I'm not sure. Weather like this never happened in the Land of Dragons before." As if to answer everyone's questions, Mulan's cricket popped out of her pocket and started chirping as loud as it could with its little body.

"What do you mean 'the storm isn't important?'" Mushu asked. He chirped again. "There's an ambush!" The little red dragon jumped with a noticeable expression.

The four of them looked around for any signs of the enemy. From the corner of his eyes, Riku could faintly trace the outline of a man. Out of the snow, a pitch-black soldier charged him with his sword drawn. Riku quickly ducked under his sword while summoning his own. With a single stroke, the soldier's top half fell one way, while his legs fell another. Once it touched the ground, a strange miasma began to seep out of it leaving a skeleton in its wake. Four more of them rose out of the snow lunging for them. Sora and Mulan held them back with a flurry of attacks with Mushu finishing them with a powerful fireball. They weren't very powerful, or rather, didn't seem interested in actually destroying them. Considering the fact that they were willing to lie wait in a blizzard to ambush them, that was highly unusual.

"What were those things?" Mushu asked.

"They weren't Heartless," Riku said. "Otherwise, there wouldn't be any leftovers."

"They seem familiar somehow," Mulan said. She leaned over to examine the remains. She pulled off a single black feather off one of them. "I've seen this before." Once again, her cricket began chirping like crazy. They looked around waiting for more soldiers to appear. They could only see a short silhouette in the distance. She appeared small, but her voice echoed around them.

"Say hello to the dragon for me," she said. Just as the words escaped her lips, a large purple beast lunged for them and slammed its claw on the ground. It felt as though the entire mountain shook from the impact. Cracks formed beneath their feet, until the ground could no longer support their weight. They fell.

* * *

><p>"This is weird," Kayla said. The girls had reached the palace. The whole place was empty. No sign of life anywhere.<p>

"Where are the Heartless?" Kairi asked. "And more importantly, where are the people?"

"I can sense them inside."

"The people or the Heartless?"

"Let's find out."

Kayla pushed the door open and entered the hallway. The inside of the palace was just as desolate as outside, but at least there was decent lighting outside. The palace had been blacked out. Kairi shot a Pearl inside to light up the hallway. The farther in they went, the weirder things appeared. No signs of life, and no signs of a struggle. It would be impossible for so many people to be missing and there be no sign of an attack.

"I thought Mulan said this place was attacked by Heartless," Kairi said. "This place looks spotless."

"Unless there's a 'Heartless cleaning service' that fixes things after an attack, there was no battle here," Kayla said. "Let's check the antechamber." She pushed the door into the next room. "Yeah…. More darkness. This place needs a better electrician."

Right after they walked in, a series of lights flickered on. The antechamber was still pretty dim, but at least they didn't have to rely on Kairi's Pearl to see. The room barely had anything in it, except for a single soldier lying on the floor in the center of the room.

"Hey, are you alright?" Kairi asked. She got down to check him for injuries. "Hey, wake up! Hello?"

"Like lambs to the slaughter." The soldier stared at with her with pure black eyes and attacked. Kairi managed to catch his arm and kicked him away.

"Ambush!" The doors slammed shut as a dozen soldiers materialized around the room. Kairi summoned her Keyblade just as two of them charged at her. She easily blocked their attacks and countered with her own. The one she had knocked away had gotten up with his sword drawn. He stabbed at her, but Kairi proved faster. She moved around the attack and elbowed him in his jaw. He collapsed on the ground before a dark miasma began seeping out of him, leaving a decrypted skeleton in its wake. "They aren't real!"

"So no mercy!" Kayla charged one of them and kicked him in his stomach. As it hunched over in pain, another attacked. She quickly summoned her keyblade and parried his sword. She forced him back and stabbed him through the chest before going back to finish the other one with a dropkick to the back of the head. With barely any effort, the girls had quickly finished the rest of the soldiers leaving only skeletons. "That was too easy. What are these things anyway? Last time I checked, none of our enemies left bodies after we've killed them."

"We started with one and then a dozen of them showed up," Kairi mused. "We're missing one."

"Hey!" Kayla complained. "I can't unlocked this door with my Keyblade!"

"What?" Kairi tried with her own keyblade. It was true. The door wouldn't unlock. "I guess we'll have to find another way out." As if on cue, a door could be heard creaking open on the other side of the room. The girls checked behind the throne and found a passage deep underground.

"That just reeks of a bad horror movie. After you?" Kairi responded with a frown. "You're the one with a light."

"Fine." Kairi shot a pearl down to show the way through. They walked about 30 feet under and followed the path to end. They could make out a faint silhouette holding a lantern. As they got closer, the figure was gone, but the lantern reminded. Someone had positioned it to shed a little light on the wall. Two locks could be seen, but the rest was obscured by darkness.

"I really hope that's the way out," Kayla said.

The girls summoned their keyblades and unlocked the door. It creaked open with a bright light enveloping them.

* * *

><p>Sora was laying on the floor, groaning in pain. Why did falling into a cavern have to be so painful? He opened his eyes and sat with his head feeling groggy. He got to his feet and looked around. Riku was just getting up a few feet away and Mulan was checking Mushu and Cri-Kee for damage.<p>

"Ow, that hurt," Sora said.

"Hey, Mulan, where are we?" Riku asked her.

"I'm honestly not sure," she replied. "I've never seen these caverns before. I wasn't even aware they existed. There must be a way back up to the top."

"Some luck, right, Cri-Kee?" Mushu said. "Cri-Kee?" The dragon turned to seem Cri-Kee hopping away. "Hey, where are you going?"

The dragon followed behind the tiny cricket with everyone else following suit. Somehow, he knew the way through. The continued through until they reached a golden door. It had an ornate dragon pattern on one half and a silver tiger on the other. There were two keyholes on the door. Cri-Kee just hopped closer to the door and stopped. He stared at Sora and Riku, waiting for them to open it. The two summoned their keyblades and aim at the locks on the door. They unlocked it with a noticeable "click" and the door creaked open with a bright light seeping out.

"What is that?" Mushu asked.

"Let's find out," Sora said.

* * *

><p>Beyond the door, Sora and Riku had entered a pristine white room. The room was full of fireflies floating around them. The room was mostly empty except for a pedestal in the center. Embedded in it, was a crimson red Keyblade with a dragon motif. Two bursts of flame had made the guard with a dragon head at the base of the fiery blade. The keychain was the symbol of the Emperor. Sora had recognized it from his last visit to the Land of Dragons. He was there when Mulan earned it. Hold on. Where was Mulan?<p>

_"Don't worry. Your friend is alright. She was merely barred from entry along with the dragon."_

"Hello?" Sora and Riku looked around but didn't notice anyone else enter. They did notice Cri-Kee perched before the keyblade.

_"Greetings, old friend."_ It took a moment to register, but there it was. The voice speaking to them was the Keyblade itself. What was even more unusual was that it was acquainted with a cricket.

"Wait," Sora said. "Slow down. I'm trying to register this. What's going on here?"

"_Patience,_" the voice resonated. _"First, we welcome the others."_

On the other side of the room, a second pedestal materialized with a different keyblade. It was black and blue with two bolts of lightning forming a double helix on each side of the guard. A white tiger adorned the base with a bolt of lightning forming the blade itself. It was fairly faint. You could see right through it. With this second Keyblade, Kairi and Kayla appeared as well. They were kinda faded, too, like they were there, without being there.

"Sora! Riku!" Kairi said.

"Kairi!" Sora said.

"Kairi!" Riku said.

"Riku…" Kayla said with a frown.

"_Why are they doing roll call?_" a female voice asked.

_"I'm not sure,"_ the male voice replied. _"Let's interrupt them."_ His voice resonated the room, drawing the attention of the Keyblade Wielders. _"Welcome, young Keyblade Wielders. We are pleased to meet such powerful warriors."_

_"There is so much to say, we aren't entirely sure where to begin. I suppose a proper introduction would be a good point to begin. I am the Crouching Tiger."_

_"And I am the Hidden Dragon. We are the guardians of this world's heart."_

* * *

><p>In the gummi ship, a young girl was lacing up her boots. She had scarlet red hair that was tied into curled pigtails. Her bright green eyes shined like emeralds. She wore a white headband to keep her hair back with a green chinese-styled top with pink lilies printed on it and white jeans. The door opened and Lief walked in.<p>

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yup!" she replied, hopping onto her feet. "To the Land of Dragons we go!"

"Valentine, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course!" Valentine replied. "Kayla is my friend and I haven't seen her in a year. And if she is with Riku, someone needs to be there to keep her from killing him. After all, if he's dead, we can't put him on trial for his crimes."

"Whatever you say."

"Anyway, enough waiting around! My friend needs me, there's an invasion coming and a man to convict. Off to the Land of Dragons, we go!"

* * *

><p><em>Bet you're all wondering why there's so much hate for Riku right now, huh? All will be answered in time. <em>

_Yeah, I couldn't find a good place for Donald, Goofy or Erika in this chapter, but they will be more active in the next chapter.  
><em>

_I hope this good so far. Juggling life and writing is harder than expected._

_Reviews are fine with me. Let me know if there's any grammar error or something._


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